Car-cuspidor.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

EMANUEL METZGER, OF KINGSTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TWO-THIRDS TO JULIUS HARDENBURGH AND NATHAN DAVIS, OF KINGSTON, NEW

YORK.

CAR-CUSPIDOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 3, 1906.

To all whom, t may concern.-

Beit known that I, EMANUEL METZGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kingston, in the county of Ulster and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Cuspidors, of which the following is a specification.

rIhis invention relates to footoperated covered cuspidors designed particularly for use on railway-cars to provide means for disposing of expectorations and other refuse under the best possible hygienic conditions.

A special obj ect of the invention is to provide a cuspidor of this character designed particularly for surface-cars, elevated-railway cars, and subway-cars. In this connection the invention contemplates a simple, practical, and easily-cleansed cuspidor-fixture which can be readily fitted in the floor of the car without any alteration or change other than to cut the necessary opening therein.

With these and many other objects in view, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

The essential features of the invention involved in the means for facilitating the handling of the fixture and in the retaining means for the sliding-cover member are susceptible to modification; but the preferred construction is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which* Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a car-cuspidor embodying the present invention and showing the cuspidor covered, as when not in use. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Like references designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In carrying out the invention the cuspidorbody (designated by the numeral l) is preferably made in the form of an oblong box closed at the bottom, sides, and ends and provided at the top with an annular supportingflange 2, arranged in the seat 3, provided in the edge of the opening 4, formed in the floor 5 of the car, through which opening the cuspidor-body 1 is inserted so as to hang in a pendent position from the car-floor. At the top the body l is provided witha top casing-plate 6, usually consisting of a separate plate member fitting closelyupon the supporting-fiange 2 of the body, and in the present invention the top casing-plate or the main top of the box-body 1 is provided therein with the receiving-opening 7 forexpectorations and refuse material. This receivingopening 7 is designed to be covered and `uncovered by a sliding-cover member 8.. The sliding-cover member 8 is of a sufficient size to completely cover the opening 7 when in a closed position and is held to slide in a horizontal plane beneath the opening and also beneath the imperforate portion of the main top 6 by the oppositely-arranged flanged supporting-guides 9. The latter are mounted or formed at the under side of the top casingplate and are arranged in opposite parallel relation to receive and support opposite side edges of the sliding-cover member, as plainly shown in Figs. l and 3 of the drawings. One of the 'distinctive features of the present invention is-to provide means for maintaining the sliding cover in a closed or open position against accidental displacement, such as might occur through the jarring of the car. While this may be accomplished by different instrumentalities, the preferred arrangement is shown in the drawings andV consists in providing the sliding-cover member 8 at one edge and upon the under side thereof with the retaining bosses or projections 10,coperat ing with the holding-recesses 11, formed in the supporting-guides 9 at spaced points. The holding-recesses 1l may be in the form of notches, slots, or openings formed in the portions of the guides 9 upon which the edges of the sliding-cover member rest but in any form when the retaining bosses or projections 10 drop into the holding-recesses 11 the' sliding-cover member is necessarily held against movement except when a drawing or pulling pressure is applied thereto. When the sliding-cover member is moved to a closed position, the bosses or projections' 10 at one edge thereof drop into the recesses 11 in one end of the guides, and when moved to its extreme open position the other bosses or projections drop into the recesses at an intermediate point of the guides. This, however, may be varied asrto the exact location of the interlocking bosses and recesses, as the material feature is for these elements to become oper- IOO atively related when the cover is in both its open and closed positions.

Contiguous to one edge the sliding-cover member 10 has secured thereto an upstanding foot-button 12,projecting upward through the receiving-opening 7 and adapted to be engaged by the foot in both the opening and closing operations. Also the button engages against opposite edges of the receiving-opening, and thus serves as a stop.

The body-top 6 of the cuspidor is provided at one end thereof with a suitable hinge connection 13 with the car-iioor and at its opposite end has fitted thereto a convenient form of handle 14, whereby the top may be swung up from the fioor to permit of ready access to the removable catch basin or receptacle 15, detachably supported inside of the box-b ody. The catch-basin 15 consists of a pan or receptacle conforming to the general contour of the `cuspidor-body, and it is preferably provided at its upper edge with an annular restfiange 16, which rests upon an inwardly-pro jecting supporting-flange 17, provided upon the inner wall of the cuspidor-body 1. It is preferable to provide the removable basin or receptacle 15 with a hinged handle or bail 18, which folds down upon the basin or receptacle when in position.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction and advantages of the hereindescribed cuspidor will be readily apparent Without further description, and it will be understood that changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A cuspidor comprising a body provided with a hinged top member having adjacent to one end thereorl a receiving-opening and provided at its under side with rigid guides extending beneath the imperforate portion of the top and along the opposite side edges ofthe receiving-opening, said ri id guides being provided at spaced interva s with holding recesses, and a foot actuated sliding cover held to operate within the fixed guides and provided contiguous to the opposite side edges with pendent bosses slidable on the guides and adapted to engage in the holdingrecesses when the cover is in either of its extreme positions, and held so engaged with said recesses by the superimposed weight of the cover.

2. A cuspidor comprising a body provided with a top having a receiving-opening and rigid guides formed therein at spaced intervals with recesses, and a sliding cover provided at its under side with projecting bosses slidable on the flat surfaces of the guides and arranged in spaced relation for engagement with said recesses with the cover in either of its extreme positions, and so held in engagement with such recesses by the superimposed weight ofthe cover.

3. A car-cuspidor comprising a body provided with a top member having a receivingopening therein and rigid guides coextensive with the said member, and e foot-actuated sliding cover working in said guides and provided with fastening means slidably engaging the guides and also having an interlocked connection therewith, said interlocked connection being temporarily maintained by the superimposed weight of the cover.

In testimony whereof1 I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

EMANUEL METZGER.

Witnesses H. D. NoYEs, HENRY KLEIN. 

